190.465.  Consolidation of emergency communications operations — joint entity established, when. — 1.  In order to provide the best possible 911 technology and service to all areas of the state in the most efficient and economical manner possible, it is the public policy of this state to encourage the consolidation of emergency communications operations.

  2.  Any county, city, or 911 or emergency services board established under this chapter^* or section 321.243 may contract and cooperate with any other county, city, or 911 or emergency services board established under this chapter^* or section 321.243 as provided in sections 70.210 to 70.320.  Any contracting counties or boards may seek assistance and advice from the Missouri 911 service board established in section 650.325 regarding the terms of the joint contract and the administration and operation of the contracting counties, cities, and boards.

  3.  If two or more counties, cities, 911 districts, or existing emergency communications entities desire to consolidate their emergency communications operations, a joint emergency communications entity may be established by the parties through an agreement identifying the conditions and provisions of the consolidation and the operation of the joint entity.  This agreement may include the establishment of a joint governing body that may be comprised of the boards of the entities forming the agreement currently authorized by statute or an elected or appointed joint board authorized under section 70.260; provided that, the representation on the joint board of each of the entities forming the agreement shall be equal.  If the entities entering into an agreement under this subsection decide that any 911 service center responsible for the answering of 911 calls and the dispatch of assistance shall be physically located in a county other than a county with the lowest average county wage from the set of counties where the entities entering into an agreement under this subsection are located in whole or part, such entities shall provide a written reason for this decision to the Missouri 911 service board and such document shall be considered a public record under chapter 610.  The county average wage comparison shall be conducted using the information from the Missouri department of economic development, which calculates such county average wages under section 135.950.

  4.  After August 28, 2018, no public safety answering point operation may be established as a result of its separation from an existing public safety answering point operation without a study by, and the approval of, the Missouri 911 service board.

  5.  No provision of this section shall be construed to prohibit or discourage in any manner the formation of multiagency or multijurisdictional public safety answering point operations.